Name space is a set of names in which all names are unique. Address space is a set of addresses in which all addresses are unique. Names are commonly used as mnemonic devices to help remember information. For instance, names are used to remember telephone numbers, and domain names are used to remember Internet addresses. A recent area of worldwide concern is the allocation of name space for the Internet.
The Internet is a vast computer network consisting of many smaller networks that span the world. A network provides a distributed communicating system of computers that are interconnected by various electronic communication links and computer software protocols. Because of the Internet's distributed and open network architecture, it is possible to transfer data from one computer to any other computer worldwide. In 1991, the World-Wide-Web (WWW or Web) revolutionized the way information is managed and distributed.
The Web is based on the concept of hypertext and a transfer method known as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) which is designed to run primarily over a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection that employs a standard Internet setup. A server computer may issue the data and a client computer displays or processes it. TCP may then convert messages into streams of packets at the source, then reassemble them back into messages at the destination. Internet Protocol (IP) handles addressing, seeing to it that packets are routed across multiple nodes and even across multiple networks with multiple standards. HTTP protocol permits client systems connected to the Internet to access independent and geographically scattered server systems also connected to the Internet.
Client side browsers, such as Netscape Navigator and/or Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) provide graphical user interface (GUI) based client applications that implement the client side portion of the HTTP protocol. One format for information transfer is to create documents using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML pages are made up of standard text as well as formatting codes that indicate how the page should be displayed. The client side browser reads these codes in order to display the page. A web page may be static and requires no variables to display information or link to other predetermined web pages. A web page is dynamic when arguments are passed which are either hidden in the web page or entered from a client browser to supply the necessary inputs displayed on the web page. Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a standard for running external programs from a web server. CGI specifies how to pass arguments to the executing program as part of the HTTP server request. Commonly, a CGI script may take the name and value arguments from an input form of a first web page which may be used as a query to access a database server and generate an HTML web page with customized data results as output that is passed back to the client browser for display.
The Web is a means of accessing information on the Internet that allows a user to “surf the web” and navigate the Internet resources intuitively, without technical knowledge. The Web dispenses with command-line utilities, which typically require a user to transmit sets of commands to communicate with an Internet server. Instead, the Web is made up of millions of interconnected web pages, or documents, which may be displayed on a computer monitor. Hosts running special servers provide the Web pages. Software that runs these Web servers is relatively simple and is available on a wide range of computer platforms including PC's.
A network resource identifier such as a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is a compact string of characters for identifying an abstract or physical resource. URIs are the generic set of all names and addresses that refer to objects on the Internet. URIs that refer to objects accessed with existing protocols are known as Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). A URL is the address of a file accessible on the Internet. The URL includes the name of the protocol required to access the resource, a domain name, or IP address that identifies a specific computer on the Internet, and a hierarchical description of a file location on the computer. For example the URL “http://www.example.com/index.html”, where “http” is the scheme or protocol, “www.example.com” is the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), and “index.html” is the filename located on the server.
Because an Internet address is a relatively long string of numbers (e.g., 31.41.59.26) that is difficult to remember, Internet users rely on domain names, memorable and sometimes catchy words corresponding to these numbers, in order to use electronic mail (e-mail) and to connect to Internet sites on the Web. The Domain Name System (DNS) is a set of protocols and services on a network that allows users to utilize domain names when looking for other hosts (e.g., computers) on the network. The DNS is composed of a distributed database of names. The names in the DNS database establish a logical tree structure called the domain name space. Each node or domain in the domain name space is named and may contain subdomains. Domains and subdomains are grouped into zones to allow for distributed administration of the name space.
The DNS provides a mechanism so backup databases may be identified in case the first one becomes unavailable. DNS databases are updated automatically so that information on one name server does not remain out-of-date for long. A client of the DNS is called a resolver; resolvers are typically located in the application layer of the networking software of each TCP/IP capable machine. Users typically do not interact directly with the resolver. Resolvers query the DNS by directing queries at name servers, which contain parts of the distributed database that is accessed by using the DNS protocols to translate domain names into IP addresses needed for transmission of information across the network.
A domain name consists of two parts: a host and a domain. Technically, the letters to the right of the “dot” (e.g., tut.net) are referred to as Top Level Domains (TLDs), while hosts, computers with assigned IP addresses that are listed in specific TLD registries are known as second-level domains (SLDs). For the domain name “tut.net”, “.net” is the TLD, and “tut” is the SLD. Domain name space is the ordered hierarchical set of all possible domain names either in use or to be used for locating an IP address on the Internet. TLDs are known as top-level domains because they comprise the highest-order name space available on the Internet. Second-level domains, as well as third-level domains (3 LDs) such as “king.tut.net”, are subsidiary to TLDs in the hierarchy of the Internet's DNS.
There are two types of top-level domains, generic and country code. Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) were created to allocate resources to the growing community of institutional networks, while country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) were created for use by each individual country, as deemed necessary. More than 240 national, or country-code TLDs (e.g., United States (.us), Japan (.jp), Germany (.de), etc.) are administered by their corresponding governments, or by private entities with the appropriate national government's acquiescence. A small set of gTLDs does not carry any national identifier, but denote the intended function of that portion of the domain space. For example, “.com” was established for commercial networks, “.org” for not-for-profit organizations, and “.net” for network gateways. The set of gTLDs was established early in the history of the DNS and has not been changed or augmented in recent years (COM, ORG, GOV, and MIL were created by January 1985, NET in July 1985, and INT was added in November 1988).
The DNS is operated by a Network Information Center (NIC) in each country to act as authority for administering the respective ccTLD zone file portion of the DNS database. The Internet Network Information Center (InterNIC) previously administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was formed to preside as authority over the gTLD zone files. In 1993, InterNIC was privatized and Network Solutions Inc. (NSI) was chosen to perform the registration and propagation of these key gTLDs, under a five-year cooperative agreement with the NSF.
Domain name registration for a given NIC authority may be accessed by a TCP/IP application called WHOIS, which queries a NIC database to find the name of network and system administrators, system and network points-of-contact, and other individuals who are registered in appropriate databases. Domain names are identifiers used for accessing a resource and retrieving contact information of the registrant or domain name holder of that resource. The availability of a domain name from a NIC authority for a given TLD may be determined by submitting a WHOIS request. When no match in the respective WHOIS database is found, then the domain name is most probably available for registration.
A system or process is typically modeled by defining the elements or components within such a system and further defining the corresponding relationships of such elements with each other and/or the relationships of such elements to other systems and their respective elements. Elements or components are most typically defined as objects having properties or functions associated with such objects. Objects are distinguished by assigning a unique identifier for each object creating an object space. Identifiers are symbols, markings, characters, names, or labels used for distinguishing, tracking, tagging, coding, sorting, routing, locating, linking, and organizing any combination of objects, resources, and addresses of a given system or across multiple systems. Indicia are identifiers used for referencing objects of physical or abstract resources. An identifier is static and has a persistence that usually takes the form of a name or label to help people remember and commonly agree upon the identification of an object for a given system. In effect, for any given object space there is typically defined an associated naming system. In some naming systems, identifiers may be allocated, assigned, reserved, subscribed, or registered to an object or entity such as an individual or organization. Examples of such registered identifiers include Social Security Numbers (SSN), license plate numbers, Universal Product Codes (UPC), International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN), trademarks, tradenames, company names, stock symbols, broadcast station call letters, telephone numbers, domain names, keywords, screen names, usernames, etc.
Each naming system has respectively originated and evolved for its own reasons, in its own way and in its own time. Identifiers take on meaning only from within its own naming system and generally remains exclusive to other naming systems. In recent years, identifiers are beginning to persist across other naming systems. For instance, there is a recent correspondence between telephone numbers and trademarks. During the early 1970's, as 1-800 toll free numbers were introduced, industry recognized and extended the use of mnemonics for commercial advertising and name branding. During the 1980's, 1-800 names were popularized to the point where brokers would buy names with the hope of selling or leasing the 1-800 names from their growing portfolio. In fact, courts have almost unanimously held that telephone mnemonics may be protected as trademarks.
Another area of crossover for identifiers is with respect to trademarks and domain names. Historically, Internet domain names were assigned on a “first come, first serve” basis. On the Internet, until very recently, no trademark searches are done, and unlike other computer networks, no central authority exists. Due to recent trademark infringement controversies, applications for domain names now require applicants to state that they have a commercial right to use the applied for name. The assignment of domain names has been administered by InterNIC.
InterNIC has recently issued a revised “Domain Dispute Resolution Policy Statement” in response to the large number of trademark disputes involving domain. The new policy requires applicants to defend, indemnify and hold harmless InterNIC for any liability arising from certain claims related to the use or registration of the domain name. These claims include trademark of service mark infringement, tortuous interference with contract or prospective business advantage and unfair competition. The policy provides that if a third party, without a federally registered trademark or service mark, claims that a domain name infringes its trademark or service marks, the owner of the domain name will be allowed to continue to use the domain name unless a court or arbitrator issues an order to the contrary. InterNIC reserves the right to withdraw a domain name if it receives such an order stating that the domain name belongs to a third party.
If InterNIC, however, receives evidence that a registered domain name is identical to that of a third party's registered trademark or service mark, the owner of the domain name must provide InterNIC with a certified copy of its own federal trademark or service mark registration for the mark being used as the domain name. In the event the owner of the domain name cannot do so, InterNIC will aid in finding a new domain name and will provide a 90-day transition period during which both domain names will be used simultaneously. After the 90 days, the disputed name will be put on hold status until the dispute is resolved. In the event the domain name owner can provide InterNIC with federal registration, then the domain name owner can continue to use the domain name until InterNIC receives a court or arbitration order providing otherwise. The domain name owner must agree to indemnify InterNIC from any liability and post a bond in an amount that will satisfy the third party's claim. Failure to do so allows InterNIC to place the domain name on hold status until the dispute is resolved.
As is clearly evident from the above, the assignment and management of identifiers, for example, domain names, is extremely important. Efficient methods of implementing a process for the assignment of domain names is of paramount importance. As a result, there have been some services that have incorporated the extra step of searching for trademark conflicts prior to the registration of a domain name. Services of this nature can be found at web addresses such as “http://www.thomson-thomson.com” or “http://nameprotect.com”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,131 issued on Mar. 9, 1999 by Farris, et al., entitled, “Analysis and validation system for provisioning network related facilities” discloses a service order processing system which determines a service request is provisionable and automatically provisions customer facilities including at least one of a domain name, a user name, a customer network address, and an electronic mail address, to execute the service request based upon information stored by the service order processing system. In addition, the '131 patent discloses a system to access various trademark/tradename databases for determining any trademark conflicts with respect domain name availability. Such a system is used to provision physical network facilities as well as logical network facilities, such as identification related data, electronic mail, user name, domain name, and the like. Though the system contemplates the provisioning of identifiers for different naming systems, there is no mention or teaching of provisioning identifiers that intentionally have a specific correlation or connection to each other in order to help create a more unified identity across multiple naming systems.
WIPO Patent Application WO9909726A1 published on Feb. 25, 1999 by Broadhurst, entitled, “Method of determining unavailability of internet domain names” discloses an improved query server that overcomes the shortcomings of existing domain name searching techniques by performing a multitude of searches simultaneously, transparent to the user. Specifically, the improved query server searches for existing domain name records in various domains and then displays the results in a formatted manner, thus eliminating the need for a user to perform individual searches. However, such techniques of finding similar identifiers are applied to the DNS only, which is a single naming system and does not consider multiple naming systems.
Co-pending provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/157,075 filed Oct. 1, 1999, by Schneider, entitled “Method and apparatus for integrating resource location and registration services of valid and fictitious domain names” discloses a robust system for managing both the resolution and registration of domain names having either a TLD or a TLDA (top level domain alias). However, there is no mention in the specification of the simultaneous registration of an identifier that can have both a TLD and TLDA.
RealNames Corporation and other companies like Netword, Inc. use plain language as a means for resource location and have developed their own version of resolution services by administering a keyword registry. Through partnerships and distribution channels, many web sites offer the possibility of searching for or even registering either a RealNames “Internet Keyword” or a domain name. But none of these sites integrate these separate services to determine the simultaneous availability and/or registration of a similar identifier across plural naming systems.
To date, the determination of the availability and/or registration of similar identifiers across naming systems have never been specified leaving the availability and/or registration of such identifiers as steps to be determined independently. New utility can be demonstrated by combining the registration of these naming systems. Accordingly, in light of the above, there is a strong need in the art for a method, product, and apparatus for determining the availability of similar identifiers across naming systems.